The second navigation satellite of India, IRNSS-1B was launched on Friday 4th April, 2014 by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C24. The launch vehicle lifted off at 11:44 hrs GMT ( 17:14 hrs IST) from Satish Dhawan Space Center which is India's primary launch site.
The launch vehicle is propelled by a solid fueled first stage and six strap-on motors. The second stage of the rocket is the liquid engine. The third and fourth stages of the vehicle accelerated the spacecraft to the orbital velocity. The spacecraft was separated 20 minutes after lift off.
Initial data indicated that the launch vehicle placed the spacecraft in an orbit with a perigee of 20610 Kilometers. It was placed with an inclination of 19.2 degrees. The PSLV is the most powerful launch vehicle of ISRO and the Friday's mission has used the PSLV-XL version.
The IRNSS-1B is the second satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System which is a 7-satellite network flying in high altitude orbit over Indian ocean. The spacecraft weighs 1,432 Kilo grams including the full load of propellant. The satellite will maneuver itself into a 36,000 high geosynchronous orbit at 55 degrees east longitude with inclination of 29 degrees to the equator. The spacecraft will be drifting north and south of the equator, tracing a figure of eight pattern over Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and South Asia.
The spacecraft is designed for a 10-year lift time. Five more satellites are scheduled to be launched by mid of 2015. The program of regional navigation system will reach users within India and surrounding regions extending about 1500 Kilometers from the Indian main land. The IRNSS services will be freely available to the public but some of the features will be restricted to the Government users.
The IRNSS-1B launched on 4th April, 2014 carries L-band and S-band navigation payloads and a rubidium atomic clock to keep the time. A C-band transponder and a laser reflectors will help the engineers to find out the distance to the satellite in orbit which is a requirement for precise navigation services.
Four IRNSS satellites will be operating in inclined orbits ( geosynchronous orbits ) while three satellites will be orbiting in the geostationary orbit over the equator. The navigation services will be helpful for marine traffic, emergency response officials, vehicle tracking applications, mobile communications, mapping and civilian drivers.
The launch vehicle is propelled by a solid fueled first stage and six strap-on motors. The second stage of the rocket is the liquid engine. The third and fourth stages of the vehicle accelerated the spacecraft to the orbital velocity. The spacecraft was separated 20 minutes after lift off.
Initial data indicated that the launch vehicle placed the spacecraft in an orbit with a perigee of 20610 Kilometers. It was placed with an inclination of 19.2 degrees. The PSLV is the most powerful launch vehicle of ISRO and the Friday's mission has used the PSLV-XL version.
The IRNSS-1B is the second satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System which is a 7-satellite network flying in high altitude orbit over Indian ocean. The spacecraft weighs 1,432 Kilo grams including the full load of propellant. The satellite will maneuver itself into a 36,000 high geosynchronous orbit at 55 degrees east longitude with inclination of 29 degrees to the equator. The spacecraft will be drifting north and south of the equator, tracing a figure of eight pattern over Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and South Asia.
The spacecraft is designed for a 10-year lift time. Five more satellites are scheduled to be launched by mid of 2015. The program of regional navigation system will reach users within India and surrounding regions extending about 1500 Kilometers from the Indian main land. The IRNSS services will be freely available to the public but some of the features will be restricted to the Government users.
The IRNSS-1B launched on 4th April, 2014 carries L-band and S-band navigation payloads and a rubidium atomic clock to keep the time. A C-band transponder and a laser reflectors will help the engineers to find out the distance to the satellite in orbit which is a requirement for precise navigation services.
Four IRNSS satellites will be operating in inclined orbits ( geosynchronous orbits ) while three satellites will be orbiting in the geostationary orbit over the equator. The navigation services will be helpful for marine traffic, emergency response officials, vehicle tracking applications, mobile communications, mapping and civilian drivers.
